I always wanted to be a performer, and at Durham university when I was about 18 I started writing lots of plays and songs. I then wrote little jokes and other stuff for the telly, and then in about 1990 I was asked to write some puzzle books. After that I started writing the Murderous Maths books, and then I did my Urgum the Axeman novels, and then my Agatha Parrot books. It's not a bad way to make a living because you can stay at home, you can wear your old smelly clothes all day, and when a new book comes out you can give a copy to your mum and she's pleased to bits.